Empowering Tribal Women through Entrepreneurship: Socio-Economic Challenges, Opportunities, and Pathways Forward

Abstract

Entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in driving economic empowerment, social progress, and development within marginalized tribal communities. Tribal women, integral to indigenous economies, demonstrate significant potential particularly in agriculture, handicrafts, and forest-based enterprises. However, despite supportive institutional frameworks like Self-Help Groups and government initiatives, their entrepreneurial activities often remain confined to micro-enterprise levels due to persistent barriers. These include limited access to financial resources, inadequate education and skill development opportunities, lack of market connectivity, and poor infrastructure (Frontiers in Sociology, 2023; Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2025). Research shows that entrepreneurship positively influences tribal women’s socio-economic status, increasing their income and decision-making power within families (Frontiers in Sociology, 2023). This paper offers a detailed literature review, illustrates successful empowerment models, analyzes socio-economic impacts, and proposes strategies to dismantle systemic constraints, thereby promoting sustainable tribal women entrepreneurship.